Le Grindhouse

I don't believe that I've had as much fun for three hours in a movie theatre than I had watching Rodriguez and Tarentino's opus to B-movie double-features, at least since LotR: Fellowship of the Ring came out in 2001 (which had me giggling like a little fan-boy for about 3 hours).

What was interesting to me was that Rodriguez seemed to completely buy into the genre with "Planet Terror," and made, from beginning to end, one of the most hilarious and best "B-grade" zombie movies that I've seen. (Freddy Rodriguez, by the way, was fantastic as Wrey, and makes me think he's a fairly underrated character actor, as he was similarly hilarious and believable as "Reggie," the self-proclaimed science experiment with only one half of his body bulked up from working out, in M. Night's tragically misunderstood "Lady in the Water.")

But Tarentino also seems very interested, in "Death Proof," in paying homage to the films of the grindhouse era, but then also turning them on their head, subverting them, and then making a kick-ass Tarentino ending to the film. And in that way, it probably moves beyond the rest of the material here, and is thus a good way to end the over 3 hour opus.

Trailer notes: The opening trailer for "Machete" was campy and hilarious - and word is that Rodriguez will work with Danny Trejo to make an actual full lenght feature! Unfortunately, it may have worked as best as it could as a fake trailer.

Don't Scream - also funny, and in a very direct "this is a JOKE" way. In that way, Eli Roth's was probably the most effective AND funny trailer with "Thanksgiving." It WAS so much of the genre, but was just on that edge that so many of them either stay on and succeed with or cross and fail that it both WAS the genre, and was one of the best spoofs on the genre at the same time.

And Rob Zombie just doesn't get it - oooh, nudity, check - oooh, violence, check - oooh, Nazis, check - ooooh, monsters, check - it was like a paint by numbers exploitation film trailer that I think anyone could do with some actors, a budget, and the above list. He really doesn't get it - he may have enjoyed such films, and always wanted to make one - but I've yet to see his work really shine in this venue. Hopefully this doesn't bode ill for his Halloween remake (although a Halloween without the score is, in my opinion, no Halloween movie).

So, much fun to be had, and one of the most brazenly self-ingulgent projects in a long time - and one that, in my opinion, works so well in so many ways.